Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,339: Funko Luke Skywalker (Bitty Pop! Arcade Display)

LUKE SKYWALKER Arcade Display
Bitty Pop! Mini Figure with Display
Item No.: No. 85545
Manufacturer: Funko
Number: n/a
Includes: Tiny figure in tiny box with 2 3/4-inch scale arcade cabinet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: ??? 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Insert Bitty Pop! into arcade display. Bitty Pop! box fits under Bitty Pop figure. (Taken from the cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I've written thousands of reviews, so sometimes I need to write about something because I feel like it. Bitty Pop! Arcade Display Luke Skywalker is part of a series with Ninja Turtles, Tron, X-Men, and other little arcade cabinets. They are a little small for 3 3/4-inch figures, but line up with full-size Pop! Vinyl, Playmobil, 2 3/4-inch Glyos, and other slightly smaller-bodied figures. I suppose if you imagine they're like the Arcade 1-Up scaled-down cabinets they've been selling in Walmart, they could be 3 3/4-inch scale. They just need a riser. The cabinet mold seems to be the same for all figures, with new deco. The art doesn't match any real Star Wars game art, as it's a lot more subdued. The real deal from Atari was a brighter affair, and I assume there were art licensing issues. (Ask anyone who's ever licensed a Konami game about box art licensing!)

For arcade cabinet collectors, it looks more or less normal with coin slots and convex Suzo-Happ style buttons. I don't recognize the stick - it's not like most American bat-top sticks, or most Japanese ball-top sticks. It's a mushroom, and I don't think that's a thing on coin-op machines. If nothing else, nobody can sue them for patent infringement. I would have gone with a red stick top and red buttons, but hey, I'm not on the Funko payroll. Maybe there's significance here.

The figure itself is pretty interesting. Luke stands about an inch high, and has blocks of paint to represent pixels. It's more cutesy than accurate, but fans' eyesight might appreciate the exaggerated cheeks and the square pixels over the round, very-not-8-bit eyes. The errant darker blue pixel on the lightsaber made me smile. Luke has no articulation to speak of, but he does have a tiny black plastic box in addition to the cabinet. If you want to store him in an itty bitty Funko box, you can do that. You can also swap in other Bitty figures in the cabinet.

I mostly write about figures from the perspective of someone who has been buying this stuff for decades, who has many figures, and gripes when a new scale comes out. This item grabbed me because it was something else - it appeals to my interest in video games, pixel things, and tiny replicas of video game stuff. For eight bucks, the value proposition was pretty good and I'd recommend checking these out as diorama elements or as collectibles unto themeselves. It's not amazing, it has no real articulation, and it will not change your life. But it's cool, and I got into toys because I was a kid and I like fun things that make me happy. This one works. Order one online, or check the Funko section of big red big box store. It might not be for you, but it spoke to me and it's under eight bucks. I'm willing to try something new if it's not priced to drain my wallet, so I appreciate what Funko did here.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,339: April 23, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,313 Luke Skywalker (Force Masters / Epic World of Action)

LUKE SKYWALKER Force Masters Pack
Epic World of Action Target Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. G0363 No. G0778
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Green lightsaber, 4 other figures with accessories
Action Feature: n/s
Retail: $34.99
Availability: July 2025
Appearances: Return of the Jedi, or really The Book of Boba Fett

Bio: Jedi Masters take on Sith Lord Darth Vader in this 5-pack of Star Wars action figures inspired by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Force Ghost Yoda, Ahsoka Tano, and Darth Vader. (Taken from the Target's web site. Package has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: It would be hyperbolic to call this Luke Skywalker the worst figure in the line, but it's probably the least interesting in the set. The worst one of all time was a Target exclusive from a multipack - check out Luke Skywalker (Battle at the Sarlacc Pit) [FOTD #1,508] from 2008 if you want to see what really cheaping out looks like.

This figure is a slight tweak of 2024 Epic Hero Series Luke Skywalker [FOTD #3,142]. That was a perfectly good figure for what it was, and for what it cost. The quality of the figure is still quite good for an under-$10 5-jointed toy-style action figure that feels like a modern take on what Kenner might have done. It has one gloved hand and is light on paint, other than the surprisingly good face, belt buckle, hand, and now green lightning. Does the green lightning make sense? No. Did Batman having a neon green Deep Dive suit? Also, no. But sometimes you get a redeco to grab kids and make another sale on your tooling investment, and that's what we get here. The figure itself is fine, but no longer has the Grogu backpack. I think that's a mistake - but probably one that kept the set's price down. Since Grogu has been in and out of circulation with other toys, having the backpack might be handy for any kid who actually go into this line. (As far as I can tell, that sort of thing didn't happen and I blame the line's slow roll and wide focus.)

What makes this figure interesting? Green. The green lightsaber is indeed a Luke/Anakin saber, but it's the wrong hilt. It's a weird error in 2025, as Hasbro has been better about getting it right and/or just using Obi-Wan's hilt because it would be close enough to work in this case. This is the only green "Power the Force" lightsaber with all the crackles and bolts. It looks neat. Luke's wrists also have a very small amount of green lightning on them, which I assume fans will see as out of character (they're right) while the toy nerds will see it as too slight and barely visible to be worth the pennies for paint (they are also right.) I like it because it's a weird flex and an intentional design choice, which we almost never see in Star Wars toys. Once in a while we get to see someone make something up, but that's increasingly rare - style comes from the style guide, which comes from Disney, and is not always exciting.

I wouldn't recommend getting the set just for this figure, but the whole set would be a nice gift for a kid that likes Jedi (and Sith.) Luke and Ahsoka are the least changed in the set, but the lightsaber makes him look distinctive enough that I'm not complaining. That is, not complaining for sale prices. If you're in the future and this set is $50 or $60 you might be complaining, but today it's $35 or less. It's worth it for $35 or less, and I really like this series as a product not focused on the increasingly overblown "premium collector experience." It's a toy, not something trying to impress jaded aging people who are trying to walk the line between recapturing their youth and their jaded sense of fun, with the added bonus that some people still seem a little ashamed to be buying toys. Which I find hillarous, because unless you're a hardcore toy collector all little plastic men are viewed as kiddie fare. $8, $80, $400, it's still a doll to the normies out there so buy whatever makes you happy.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target on sale for $24.49. Presumably it'll be on sale again soon if it's not already.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,313: January 22, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,271: Luke Skywalker (Tatooine, Landspeeder - The Vintage Collection)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Tatooine)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Landpeeder Vehicle Pack-in on Deluxe Action Figure Card
Item No.: No. G0673
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #344A
Includes: Landspeeder, floppy hat, cloth poncho, macrobinoculars, lightsaber hilt, full lightsaber, droid caller
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: June 2025
Appearances: Star Wars 

Bio: Luke Skywalker owned a battered but speedy X-34 Landspeeder, racing the sand-packed and sun-faded crat across the desert between the Lars homestead and outposts such as Tosche Station and Anchorhead. (Taken from marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

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Commentary: I'm constantly at war internally. The factions are "I want the best, cheapest thing" and "I want the best thing, period." Right now Luke Skywalker (Tatooine) is a deluxe figure packed with the 2025 Landspeeder. It shares parts with TVC #344 Luke Skywalker [FOTD #3,214] from earlier this year... but it's better. How much better? Would you believe just better enough to make you mad until you play with it? It's as perfect as you can possibly get these days.

If you want a figure to stand around and will never sit, you'll want the basic carded Luke. But you might also want this one for his accessories - many of them can swap between figures. If you want to use single Luke with the hat and poncho? Go wild. If you want to have Landspeeder Luke sit in the bar at the Cantina? Go nuts. I think the Landspeeder one is better, and makes a better argument for Hasbro's $25 deluxe program than its previous releases. I don't think the average fan necessarily wants a $25 Momaw Nadon, but the average fan probably doesn't know how much a Luke costs or cares. They just want a good one, and it's this one. Like the name says, it has all his Tatooine stuff and surprisingly it all fits on his belt. Sure, the holes are tight, but you can get them on there and they're not loose or anything. That's impressive.

This figure was designed to sit in the Landspeeder thanks to the cloth lower tunic. That's good! It works! But it's extremely difficult to get Luke's hands on the control yoke. The steering wheel can rotate, and your fingers are likely too big to get around in there. I wish the Landspeeder's "glass" came off so I could easily place them on the wheel, but no dice. You can get close though, and I assume close is going to be good enough for a lot of people. It would be nice if it were easier, and the only way to do that would be more moving parts on the Landspeeder or super gummy hands on Luke... and people don't like that. He fits though, and there's no resistance getting him in the seat.

The hat is new to this figure - we've had others, but this is a new mold - and fits perfectly. It's snug. The poncho takes some contortion to get over his body, but it's not too hard to do. Hasbro did a nice job. His hands can hold his stuff too, and short of a Treadwell droid buddy or some blue milk I can't really think of much else you'd want to throw in the box for Tatooine. Presumably there will be retools with a Stormtrooper belt down the road, or maybe a Millennium Falcon version with a helmet and training remote. I could see other versions too - and depending on your display needs, they may be super welcome. You'd probably want one for every vehicle or playset if you set your stuff up like that, so even though you just bought a basic Luke, the Deluxe one serves a purpose. As long as I have a use or a function for new versions of the same guy, I can't complain too much. Hasbro did us a solid by changing up the deco on the leg wraps - these ones are dirty, so he isn't identical to the pure white basic carded version.

I really think Hasbro could take this deluxe figure and sell it for $25 on its own to a decent audience of fans. I'd recommend they all just buy the $60 Landspeeder set. A lot of that is probably just an affinity for the first movie and all of its stuff, but this is the very best version of this figure and this vehicle right now. The last new mold we got for a Landspeeder was in 2002. It's a good piece. If this is literally the only Star Wars ship a fan ever buys, it's a good one, at a good price. It's rare to have an item I'd recommend to a cranky collector or a fresh newbie, but this is it. I don't know why anyone who loves the original trilogy wouldn't buy at least one.

Hasbro would probably have more enthusiasm toward the HasLab Gunship had more people had this in hand first. I'm not saying a ton... but you can pick it up and go "Oh yeah, this is a really good remake."

Landspeeder Notes: The Toys R Us exclusive Saga mold from 2002, repainted and repackaged for Target in The Vintage Collection around 2010, is proportionally and functionally similar. The wheels retract and roll, and they're the same basic shape. The 2010 model has similar colors to 2025, but the 2025 one feels sturdier and has more painted detail. The hood opens (like 1978/1995, not like 2002/2010) and there are lots of fancy painted bits under the hood and on the control console. It's more of a little prop than a toy. There aren't any good places to store the gear, and there are no foot pegs or magnets to secure R2-D2 or C-3PO to the back. But if you just want the very best 3 3/4-inch vehicle on a shelf, and you're not going to play with it, you can't beat this one. All of Hasbro's The Vintage Collection vehicle molds are excellent, getting you something close to a prop replica. The prices are expensive for a kiddo toy, but I think the discerning older fan will get this set and be pleased.

I assume Hasbro could someday do one with die-cast metal parts, magnetic levitation, an actual glass window, and some sort of internal lights. But I don't know that I need a $200 ultra-deluxe movie-quality 1:18 scale prop, when this is plenty good. But there might be a day when there's a squeeze for those last Generation X dollars in a few years.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,280: October 7, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,270: Luke Skywalker (Rebel Flight Suit, Epic Hero Series)

LUKE SKYWALKER Rebel Flight Suit
Epic World of Action Luke Skywalker's Force Strike X-Wing
Item No.: No. G0768
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Figure, X-Wing, 2 proton torpedoes, 1 blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: May 2025 (Target), June 2025 (elsewhere)
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Luke Skywalker, a Force-sensitive human male, was a legendary Jedi Master who fought in the Galactic Civil War during the reign of the Galactic Empire. (Taken from Wookieepedia. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

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Commentary: If you have any sense of decency, you should buy a Star Wars Epic World of Action Luke Skywalker's Force Strike X-Wing Fighter. For what it costs, and what you get... it's crazy. A Speeder Bike is $20, and $30 gets you a whole X-Wing. The ship itself compares favorably to the POTF2-era X-Wings of 1995-2004, where the first release had electronics and the 2004 encore did not. It's roughly Kenner-sized, very Kenner-colored, but the mechanisms are largely gone. You do have a firing rocket - and a spare - but the wings are now manually s-foiled. It is a toy, but it looks and feels a lot like a Kenner offering. The paint and coloring are great, as is the articulated R2 dome. What's less great are the blue energy blasts in the engines (if you dislike whimsy) and the red blasts on each cannon tip, which as far as I can tell are not easily removed. If Hasbro reissues this with retro-style Kenner figures in 2027 for the 50th anniversary (and they should), I'd like to see them retool the ship to leave off the blasts and nix the energy things. But otherwise, it's great... and as a toy collector, I love it as it is with no changes. I just assume y'all won't want the energy blasts, as some of you are not fans of whimsy and imagination. But for $30, it's so perfect and we haven't had a good, sturdy, 3 3/4-inch-ish X-Wing (for kids) in nearly 21 years. It's worth noting the Epic X-Wing cockpit is big enough to fit a 1978 Chewbacca figure without a hitch.

But wait, we're here to talk about Luke. Interestingly, this may well be the first figure in the Epic line specifically from the Original Trilogy. Vader's configuration indicates he's (probably) from Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the Stormtroopers are up for debate. Everybody else is from a Disney+ streaming series, even Jedi Master Luke. Luke has only appeared in his orange flight suit on-screen in Star Wars or Return of the Jedi, and I assume they're aiming for Star Wars here. It's a shame they didn't put more OT stuff in this line - I think people would like it. I absolutely adore the toy ship, and the figure is very good.

Luke feels very close to a reimagining of the 1979 X-Wing Pilot figure. The key difference is that his visor is down - but the helmet is still very simple, with a few sculpted ridges and painted red Rebel logos on top. he has a chin strap, and a red stripe down the top. There's not much to it, so I can't complain about it. I feel like this was being done at me, sort of "Hey Adam, you want a Kenner head? Here you go." They got it right.

The body is good, but not amazing. The white vest remains as usual, and Hasbro painted the straps on the torso and legs. That's good! The gloves and boots are painted black too - that's great! You can see a couple of cut corners, though, and for the price it makes sense. The back of the figure is completely undecorated. The flight buttons and switches on the chest are all painted grey, to match the cable and some straps. It's admittedly very plain, and consistent with the (lack of) deco on Darth Vader. If you're going to cut a corner, though, that's the one I'd cut. The various silver cylinders on the arm are also unpainted - but Hasbro frequently leaves them undecorated, even on The Vintage Collection. They should paint them there, but here? It's fine.

Articulation is very good, better than any non-The Vintage Collection sculpt of Luke as a pilot. It does come up short in the hips - I'm surprised they restricted movement here. They can't swing forward very much, but can move just enough to fit in the X-Wing. The shoulders, elbows, and knees have bend-and-swivel joints, with no wrists or ankles. It's actually pretty perfect and exceeds what you need to put in the Epic X-Wing. He stands easily and can hold his blaster. But, he towers over non-Epic 3 3/4-inch scale figures, so keep that in mind.

I was curious if he fit in other vehicles. This Luke is too big to fit in the 1999 POTF2-era Y-Wing or the 2019 TVC X-Wing, but can fit in the 1995 POTF2 X-Wing and 1996 POTF2 Snowspeeder with no problems.

This figure (and vehicle) push buttons. This makes me happy. I'm sad that there are practically no examples of Original Trilogy-specificness in this line, because this is so neat. If you have $30, go get one. If you see it on sale for $15 or less, maybe get two. I liked this line's version of the N-1, but I really like Luke and the X-Wing. I would consider suggesting this set to fans of The Retro Collection too. While the clear red and blue parts are a little odd for that era, it is sized to fit Vintage and Retro figures.

Hasbro, if you're reading - I'd love to see Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, a Millennium Falcon, or a Landspeeder in this format. If you're feeling saucy, pretty much anything from the Disney+ era of ships... that aren't bikes or swoops would also be very exciting. For $30 you get your money's worth.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,270: August 26, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,267: Luke Skywalker (Yavin, The Retro Collection)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Yavin)
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G1082
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Defender sporting blaser pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: April May 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The Retro Collection Rebel Fleet Trooper and Luke Skywalker (Yavin) were kind of oddballs in 1997 for The Power of the Force (POTF2), and they are here too. For 2025, the Kenner-style figures both have similar poses from what I assume are the same sculptor. On a shelf of 100 different figures, the RFT and Luke's colors and gear look like they belong. But when you get in close, these guys have a different flavor. I'm being nitpicky here - it's basically a good figure, and I have gotten into long, drawn-out arguments with people over some other retro-style action figures over the years. Everybody interprets the Kenner "style" differently, and we don't always agree with what we see before us. You won't be sorry if you get one, but it might take some getting used to if you have a very specific idea of how these figures have looked historically.

In an odd coincidence, I'd say the same about Kenner's 1997 figures of the same characters - Luke's really bad hair and super-wide stance come to mind, and the Rebel Fleet Trooper was one of the tallest figures in the range, towering over Chewbacca and Darth Vader. Here they just seem made by a different sculptor, probably using different tools or techniques. If you look at what other retro toymakers are doing, you can start to see what seems to be someone who relies more on digital tools cloning things and flipping a part around to save time (psst, we notice.) If you change the bend in an elbow or maybe add a slight shift to which foot Luke's weight is on, with new wrinkles in the clothes, maybe we won't notice. In this case, it seems a rough arm and leg were copied, flipped, and pasted with additional detailing added later. It doesn't feel right - it's close, but the personality of this style of figure came from asymmetry, being a little off, being (for lack of a better word) hand-made. When someone makes a thing out of clay (or maybe wood for droids), little imperfections give it an interesting personality - look at Hammerhead, or Han's bent elbow. This particular design choice with Yavin Luke doesn't save Hasbro proper any money, but it might have saved the sculptor (possibly a freelance sculptor) some time. I wish they spent more time on it, because it's unlikely we'll ever see a version 2.0 of any Retro figures.

This isn't to say it's bad - it's just a series of design choices. Luke's jacket in 1997 had ribbed sleeves all the way down. Later figures stopped just below the elbow, which is accurate. Hasbro decided to go with "accurate" for the Retro figure - which makes sense, but I think it was the wrong choice. "Wrong" is always right for that era, as there weren't good resources or style guides - as we saw in 1997. The rest of the jacket is molded in yellow, with some sculpted wrinkles and pockets but no painted trim. This is good. The wrinkles are generally good, but the jacket feels a little short and it seems like it could have been longer, perhaps just barely hanging over his hips. It needed to be fudged a bit more. The belt buckle is silver, I assume Kenner might have left it unpainted or white but we'll never know. The black shirt is perfect. No notes.

His pants are pretty good, but like the Rebel Trooper a) the pose is weird, and b) the butt is weirder. Most Kenner and Retro figures have a little more definition down there, and this one is lacking. It's a weird round cylinder. It's a bit more defined than the Rebel Trooper, but Dr. Evazan actually got a real seam for his pants. I'm not asking for anything fancy, just maybe a bit more of a hint of a sculpted fly, or some wrinkles in the seat. The leg pose is odd as the legs seem to be going in, rather than out. If the hips were the same, but the feet were maybe a fraction of an inch apart (with ankles tilted accordingly and maybe some more wrinkles in the boots) it'd be perfect. Again, I'd point to Bespin Han. Luke's non-working holster is also good, and is unpainted - just like Bespin Han. It doesn't look like much, but the design is OK. I'd like a little more definition, but I'm nitpicking. The yellow stripes on the pants seem perfect for the era.

His accessories are pretty good. The medal is just a little too big for him, but it doesn't fall off. Coincidentally it fits Han just fine, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was made to use with a new Han down the road. (Confidential to Hasbro: you can just rerelease Small Head Han with a medal and a retooled right hand to better grip the blaster, we'll buy it again.) Luke has two hands ready to grip accessories - which is not how Kenner did things with very few exceptions like Ewoks, Bespin and Jedi Knight Luke figures - but here we are. Either hand can grip Leia's pistol (included) just fine. I like that they just reused the old blaster and didn't make a new one. Kenner would've done the same thing. Luke's foot pegs work well with the stands I had around my desk.

I complained a lot, but that's taking this figure out of every possible context. In 2025, he's weird. In 1982, he'd fit right in with everything else because Kenner was still developing the style. If you put this Luke (Yavin) next to a Chewbacca and a Han Solo, they look like they belong together. Even Luke's head sculpt - a surprise that it was new - looks fine. The eye on mine is a smidgen off, but it's OK. It's not the 1978 lemon head, but it's a nice noggin. The hair is very good and matches the scene nicely, and I'd be lying if I said this didn't look like an old Kenner head. You can argue all day if it's good for Luke or not, but it completely captures the spirit of the original toy era if not the literal identical melon.

This isn't my favorite figure, but it's fine. I'll get used to the jacket, but the pose of the legs and arms seems weird. Legs close together, arms apart? That just doesn't feel right. But the colors are good, the style is right, and the personality seems generally pretty close to a good early draft of the figure. I would like to see more detail in the jacket's wrinkles and the texture of his garments, but it is what it is. It's not perfect, but if it were perfect it wouldn't be Retro.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,267: August 14, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,214: Luke Skywalker (The Vintage Collection)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Original, 2025 Redux)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. G0903
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #344
Includes: Droid caller, lightsaber, lightsaber hilt
Action Feature: Droid caller and hilt connect to belt
Retail: $16.99
Availability: January 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke Skywalker is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance on a journey that will change the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Go get this one. Un-retire from collecting, and go get one now.

I've noticed I've been considerably more grumpy, mostly because a lot of Star Wars action figures are getting further away from the original movies, or the original characters, or an ability to function as a toy. I like Retro because they play nicely... and Epic Hero Series for pretty much the same reason. I don't mind good upgrades of original figures, especially when they're like this Luke Skywalker and make good on a ton of necessary changes. For starters, the boots are probably correct - publicity photos show tan wraps, but they seem lighter in shots from the film. The removable droid caller is awesome. The head sculpt is a big improvement. Also, the last "farmboy" Luke figure was sold in a hard-to-find gift set back in 2009. There was a "Death Star Escape" version in 2011, but those wanting a plain white Luke from the original movie haven't had one in 14 years. That's preposterously long for the main outfit of the main character in the main movie.

If I have to knock this figure about anything, it's only one part - and I don't know that technology or materials would let it be better. Let's start with the "skirt." It's the right size, it fits well, the color matches the torso and arms - that's good! The holes are perfect fits for the lightsaber and droid caller. You can't beat that! Standing around on a shelf or in-pack, it is beyond improving. It is perfect. It is great - for a collector figure. If you're going to display this in a diorama, standing, this is it. If you're going to have him sit, it's not so good - it's a little thick so it looks right, and while it bends, it doesn't bend much or well. It gets in the way of the legs swinging forward a bit, so it might be a struggle to get him in one of your old Landspeeders. This has been true for pretty much every Luke since about 1998 - the 1978 and 1995 ones have squared-off joints so they just swing and sit, no fuss no muss. It is a fight to get Luke's hips bent 90 degrees with this in the way. Also, the texture and wrinkles are very good - but there are some horizontal lines in back, and I can't help but wonder if they're artifacts from a 3D print. Probably not! But that's where my head goes these days.

That is where my complaints stop. Vehicle functionality aside, this is a good figure with good articulation. The limbs can assume a variety of poses without sticking out oddly. That's good! His wrists can bend and swivel, his ankles rock, the knees are mostly hidden in the pants folds, and the white material is some of the best we've seen. His neck appears to be a separately molded neck piece - that has got to cost a bit more - with a separately molded wig. The eyes and lips are glossy and painted very nicely, with tiny details added to the belt. It's a new high bar for the character, and short of wild new manufacturing techniques I doubt we'll see any real improvements for years to come. Things like a thinner, durable material so the shirt can bend and maybe hide the arm joints would be amazing - but unlikely. Hasbro experimented with cloth in 2004 and it was a great idea, but it doesn't look quite as good as a plastic figure. And none of those other figures have a shirt that looks as good as this one.

I had no real problems getting this figure to stand, or to assume a few good poses. Hasbro did a nice job of incorporating modern articulation like the ball-and-socket hips, thigh swivels, and a more or less typical waist joint.

His accessories are pretty great. The hilt looks good on both lightsabers... perhaps not perfect, but scaled down to a better size with painted details that look proper. The hilt-only saber fits in the peg hole perfectly, almost looking like it's part of the figure's sculpt. The same is true for the tiny grain-of-rice sized droid caller. Once connected, it looks like it belongs on the figure. That's hard to beat. The lightsaber is similarly good with its blue blade, which is kind of the most old-fashioned thing about the figure. This was innovative back in 1995, and by now I was wondering if we'd find some new technique with a clear white core somehow - it's probably very difficult to accomplish, but I assume someone, somewhere, is figuring out how to hollow out the thin blade and paint the interior white or something. Maybe not. For now it looks great, and I doubt it would get any better in the next 5-10 years.

I wouldn't say anything is missing... but there are things I'd like to see. We've never had a Farmboy Luke packed with the Jedi Training Remote, and that would be nice to see. We also haven't had Luke include a blast shield helmet in quite some time. Were Hasbro to re-reissue this figure with alternate gear, I wouldn't mind seeing those. Or a poncho. Or macrobinoculars. And the floppy hat. Again, if they were so inclined to do it. (Watch, it's the SDCC exclusive or something.)

Right now I'd say the big problem for this figure will be availability. I assume Hasbro didn't make a lot of it, and it's the kind of thing that will probably sell well in stores to fan-types who aren't extremely online collectors. I hope you got yours - it's a figure that shows massive improvements in sculpting and articulation, and for now it's definitive. Maybe Hasbro can make a better one - with slightly more feathery hair or a slightly-open mouth - but aside from that? This is as good as this kind of figure is likely to get for a while. Go get it, and/or start asking Hasbro to reissue it. This is a figure upgrade that's so good that lapsed collectors should come back just to pick this one up. It's worth the asking price, as long as you're not buying it as an actual toy to play with.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,214: February 11, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,146: Luke Skywalker (RacerVerse)

LUKE SKYWALKER on X-Wing Go-Kart
Hot Wheels Racerverse Basic Car
Item No.: Asst. HKB86 No. HKC07
Manufacturer: Mattel
Number: n/a
Includes: Fake paper orange track
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: 2023
Appearances: Star Wars   

Bio: Luke Skywalker, a Force-sensitive human male, was a legendary Jedi Master who fought in the Galactic Civil War during the reign of the Galactic Empire. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: One of the things as you get older - and it most likely will happen to you - is your favorite franchise expands beyond the scope of what brought you to it in the first place. Since Disney took over we saw a hard shift to non-classic stuff (I'll say original trilogy and prequels are left out a bit usually) so I find something like Luke Skywalker exciting, despite being beyond my focus as a toy collector. A $6 Hot Wheels car that looks sort of like a McDonald's or Burger King toy? And I can race it on a track? Sure, why not? It's a small line, and I was getting bored writing about super-articulated figures.

This toy is a toy. It's not a toy pretending to be a collectible, so far Mattel hasn't put out any $30 collector versions for Star Wars - it's just a basic toy you throw at a kid and collectors will ignore. Exciting. Dropping all pretense, they managed to deliver a toy X-Wing with an action figure at a low price point - sure it's non-removable, but it'd fall out if it were. Luke has a helmet with a translucent visor - but no eyes underneath - and a determined look on his mouth. The helmet is painted roughly as well as any typical Hasbro version at this size, with an orange flight suit and two hands molded to some controls stuck on the vehicle. The exaggerated noggin is not unlike a Bobble Head or any of a number of Happy Meal toys, just big enough to show a little detail and sized similarly to that which you see on a typical 3 3/4-inch action figure. It's not movie-perfect, it's not a real actor's likeness, but it's a good toy head.

This feels like something I would've liked to have as a kid - but it's not quite as good as the Blockade Runner in terms of design. Red 5 is brought as an X-Wing with no X.... and really, no wings. To be able to fly through tracks, Mattel truncated the design to have cannons above the engines - so you get two - with pylons that look sort of like vestigial wings. It's a sensible design, and if it were a Tomy toy from 1982 from Japan I'd have paid a ridiculous amount of money to get myself one. Instead it's $6, with a plastic top and a metal bottom with four rolling wheels. There are yellow and red paint stripes, a black block for a fake cockpit, and nothing too out of the ordinary. It seems like a good recreation for its size class, and while I wish R2-D2 was in some way represented maybe that's coming with something else later. It's a fun little design and it looks like the kind of thing a neighborhood kid might get in a Power Wheels car. It's a fun thing to mess with on my desk.

As a Hot Wheels car, it's pretty good - I've been trying out cars on launchers and tracks lately, and it goes about as well as Leia. (Chewbacca is, surprisingly, the big winner of the three I got so far.) If you put him on your launcher he glides perfectly nicely along the orange track for a bit, but not super duper far. I'm not sure if it's materials, weight, design, or something else - I'm not an engineer. But he rolls merrily along and Mattel does a good job making sure their toys actually function as toys, which is always welcome.

I don't yet know if I'm going to buy the prequels, sequels, or spin-offs - but Mattel, I'm in for a few more original trilogy go-karts. I'd love to see a few more of these - and at the rate Mattel is pumping them out, I already know I can't (and won't) collect everything in all the brands. For those who pick and choose these could be really fun pick-ups, so check the store and grab one if you see something that looks interesting. Even if you just play around with it for a day, it's six bucks, and you don't have to worry about losing accessories or anything. It's just a car.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,146: June 20, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,142: Luke Skywalker (Epic Hero Series)

LUKE SKYWALKER New Kids Line, Jedi Master
Epic Hero Series Basic Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9405 No. G0102
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Backpack, lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: January 2024
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett   

Bio: Luke Skywalker rose from humble beginnings to become on of the greatest Jedi the galaxy had ever known. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: If we got this Luke Skywalker in the 1990s, I would be giddy. For all intents and purposes, it's a modernized version of the 1983 Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker minus the cape and blaster - instead, you get a lightsaber and a backpack. It could be a bit fancier, but Hasbro didn't cut all the corners in this not-quite-4-inch take of the character that was Mr. Star Wars forever.

This is, of course, not Luke from Return of the Jedi but rather a The Book of Boba Fett version complete with backpack and big belt buckle. And the glove. This line slightly exaggerates his features with larger hands, slightly fluffier hair, and bigger boots - but that's typical action figure stuff. The design choices are really interesting on this one - sure, he's got a ball neck, that's no surprise. 

What struck me were the shoulders being cut on a slight angle so when they swing forward, they also go out a bit - this gives him better dueling poses or, if you prefer, allows him to emote the size of the fish he just caught. His legs swing forward, but a couple of plastic strips hang off his belt and will go forward with them. This might be bad if he spends a lot of time sitting, but with no Luke vehicles in this line as of yet, it might not matter for the average kid. I wish they just integrated these parts on the leg sculpt.

One of the more improbable things is that this Luke figure has a better face - or at least, one I believe more easily - than the digital mask we saw on TV. It's not a dead ringer for Mark Hamill, but the eyes glisten a bit and the eyebrows look good. The hair is nicely sculpted and all the textures look appropriate for a toy action figure. It feels legit - and the clear green lightsaber feels right.

But that's not all! You get a weird little backpack that looks like a bike basket, and it plugs in his back with tiny straps hanging over his shoulders. It's sturdy, but those straps do look a little comically short. It's easy to remove, though, unlike the ribbed locking mechanisms we had from Kenner in the 1980s and The Retro Collection. This is a good execution of the idea and Grogu easily fits inside. It's actually a little loose, so he doesn't quite stay in there if you flop him around. If I were Hasbro I would've put a foot peg in there, but as it is, it's a fine accessory that's appropriate to the episode.

Luke is by no means amazing but he's good. I don't think a kid will get him and be upset - the limbs move, he can hold his accessory, he stands well and he looks good. Hasbro picked a nice, cheap outfit with minimal decoration to help keep costs down too. I doubt you need more Luke figures in your life, but I'd nudge you to consider this one. I'd love to see more original trilogy characters in this style if they're roughly as good as this one, and I hope the line continues to take off so we can maybe get an X-Wing or R2-D2 or Boba Fett of some sort.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,142: June 13, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,060: Luke Skywalker (and Grogu, The Black Series)

LUKE SKYWALKER & Grogu
The Black Series The Book of Boba Fett Deluxe Figure
Item No.: No. F8345
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #07
Includes: Yoda hilt, Yoda lightsaber, Luke lightsaber, backpack, frog, wrapped gift, box, clear stands, bolt stand, rock formation, training remote
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $44.99
Availability: July 2023
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett

Bio: To help him hone his skills and understand the ways of the Force, Grogu trains with a new Jedi Master: Luke Skywalker . (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Walmart now!

Commentary: There are times that Hasbro can make a good product but miss the landing, like this Luke Skywalker & Grogu set. Before I wrote this review, I felt it was a good set - but expensive. Then I was out at a Walmart and heard some guy pick it up and tell his lady friend about how ridiculous the pricing was and how he won't buy it until it hits half price... and which point I check Amazon and find it's already $10 off and it's still only a month or so old. Hasbro/Disney/Lucasfilm apparently treats these as items where collectors are not concerned about value - the price increases were hard to swallow, but this is a $25 "basic" figure with a $20 upcharge for the tiny Grogu and a couple of extra accessories. There's no doubt that there's more in the box, but you're being charged for two figures and getting one figure with a few accessories.

From a product development perspective, this is a pretty good Luke. It looks like he'll share parts with the upcoming Return of the Jedi remake, but he also has a lot of unique parts. The tunic is specific to The Book of Boba Fett, as are his black boots with their many wrappings. He has a gloved hand, a great hairstyle, an acceptable face, and very little paint. If anything, this seems like a figure that was cheap to make. It doesn't appear they spent a lot of time refining him - he keeps falling over, thanks to the rounded bottoms of his feet. When I type, he just eventually flops forward over and over. Price aside, it's just not a great consumer product if he can't stand without assistance.

Once again Hasbro used a separate plastic wig for this figure, which I assume adds to the cost - they saved money on body paint but didn't pass that along to you. The portrait is pretty good, looking convincingly like "Luke Skywalker" but not quite like "Mark Hamill," if that makes sense. At the right angle, with the right lighting, the sculpt looks perfect. This tells me that the painting process could use some refinement, and maybe we'll get something even better down the road. It's certainly pretty good, and on the happy end of what we've seen in this line, but it hasn't been perfected.

Like many other figures, he has a lightsaber. It looks great, but it can't hang on his belt. He has a lot of other gear for you to lose, including a plug for a backpack, a training backpack, a clear Remote stand, a rocky based with a blast effect, a clear "swoosh," a frog, a Mando Beskar shirt package, Yoda's lightsabers, and some other stuff. It feels like the $45 price point came first, and they kept putting in gear to add value to it until it hit some sort of a point where the budget worked out. If you were buying these as 3-D printed upgrades from some fan, this set would be a decent deal. But $45 doesn't add up here. If you look at Super7's Ultimates! 7-inch action figures, which are $55, you get a heck of a lot more for the money. 2-3 heads, sidekick buddy figures, alternate hands galore, tons of big weapons, and so forth. There's no value here. Heck, the box is mostly empty - all this stuff would fit in a "basic figure" box with room to spare, so people seeing this item at the store are probably going to feel more than a little mislead.

The Black Series increasingly makes impressive-looking figures that just don't show why they're worth the asking price some of the time. Maybe it's the closed packaging, maybe it's the last few years of price increases. $25 felt like it was about as high as you could have a basic figure go before people turn their noses up. The nearly instant markdown of this set on Amazon serves as the free market speaking - this is not a good value. The prices need to be reigned in - even if it means fewer accessories - if this line is to stay off of markdown. Something like Luke and Grogu should be a sure thing, and here it is on sale already. Luke's slightly-off Mark Hamill likeness fits the show, the costume is dead-on, and Grogu (with accessories) is pretty good. We'll review the little guy later, but I can tell you at sale prices this is a worthwhile set to pick up. $35 or so under is worth it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,060: August 31, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,048: Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser, The Black Series)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Imperial Light Cruiser)
The Black Series 2023 Closed Box Line Look The Mandalorian Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F5534
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #30 - Star Wars: The Mandalorian
Includes: Lightsaber, cloak
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: April 2023
Appearances: Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Bio: When The Mandalorian embarks on a mission to save Grogu from Moff Gideon, he receives unexpected help in the form of Luke Skywalker . (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: It's good. Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) does double duty - much of this figure will be reused any day now for a 40th Anniversary Return of the Jedi figure, but with no vest, and a belt. I assume this figure would have also been packed with a different vest and an alternate right hand with the Rancor that didn't make it out from HasLab a couple of years ago. It's a pretty good figure, and one of the few times I've opened a 6-inch figure lately and said "OK, this is pretty great." But it's not terribly accurate.

The figure is a mishmash of Lukes. The vest is a lot closer to what Luke wore in Jabba's Palace during Return of the Jedi< where it's a bit more open and has fewer layers in the opening. In The Mandalorian, there's a lot more fabric layers visible on his chest under the vest. The belt is unmistakably The Mandalorian, while his boots, pants, and sleeves are mostly on the intersection of "who cares" and "close enough." It's not perfect, but when you have a guy who wears different kinds of nearly identical black clothing I am torn between not blaming them for taking shortcuts, and being irate it isn't better for $25. When you get to a certain price point, I don't think you are at liberty to skimp - and The Black Series is one of those places. For the price, it's merely good - and certainly good enough for most fans. I don't mean to say it's a bad figure, in a vacuum this is a dream come true.

Luke's elbow articulation is so good, he can actually put his arms up so his hands can be posed to look like he's removing his hood. He has no problems holding his lightsaber, and the hilt is tooled to hang on his belt without ugly pegs or holes. They did a real nice job, even if the sleeve material doesn't look quote right. And, I have to say the darkness of the show's sets also make me think it's sensible they cut the corners. His cloak is excellent - big, black, and not transparent. It hangs well, and the strategically-placed stitches to keep the hood in place are some of the best we've ever seen. I don't doubt Hasbro will do even better some day, but it's better than most of what we've ever seen. Good on them for constant improvement in this area, especially after some swing-and-a-miss cloaks in The Vintage Collection over the years.

Luke's face, like on the show, is weird. From some angles it looks just like Mark Hamill, if lit right. I think he's entirely too pale, and the nose seems slightly wrong to me - but I also assume I've seen these movies and shows far too many times as a child and the following four decades to be able to look at most of the main human cast and not see something that feels off. The hair also looks a little weird, but given it's 2023 I think it's safe to say this may really be as good as Hasbro and other Lucasfilm licensees are ever going to get. (Hence why I like Retro Kenner - don't even try to get it right, and nobody can say you're doing it wrong.)

 

I'd recommend getting this Luke if you are OK with it not being perfect. It's evocative of the real deal, and it was probably one of the most exciting pieces of fan service I've ever enjoyed. They got my number, I loved it - so I like this figure bunches. All I think I ever wanted to see again was Luke going around doing something cool, so I happy to have seen it and also happy to have a pretty good figure.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,048: July 20, 2023